Titans Give Thanks at Oregon Tournament

TIP OFF: After suffering its first loss of the season last weekend, the Cal State Fullerton women's basketball team (2-1 overall) finally sees its season-opening six-game roadtrip come to an end this weekend in the Beaver State. The Titans give thanks in Eugene, Ore., as one of four teams at the World Vision Classic hosted by the University of Oregon at McArthur Court. Fullerton opens the three-day event against the host Ducks on Friday (Nov. 27) at 7:30 p.m. before taking on a pair of 2009 postseason squads in Portland State on Saturday (Nov. 28) at 2 p.m. and Wisconsin on Sunday (Nov. 29) at noon.

I SEE YOU: For the fourth consecutive season, video for all of Cal State Fullerton's home regular season contests and selected road games will be streamed live over the Internet (on a subscription basis) courtesy the Big West TV platform. For a monthy subscription of \$9.95 or an annual subscription of \$79.95, fans can catch all the exclusive action from the comfort of their home computers. For more information, please log on to BigWestTV.org.

I NEED STATS, STAT!: For the first time this season, Cal State Fullerton men's and women's basketball will feature live stats via CBS College Sports' Gametracker for all of the Titans' home games and select road contests. Links will be available on both the men's and women's basketball schedule pages at the redesigned FullertonTitans.com.

SERIES RECORDS: Friday's meeting with Oregon and Sunday's match-up with Wisconsin will be the first meetings between the two schools... the Titans are 0-2 all-time against Portland State with the two school's meeting for the first time in nine years... the Vikings posted a 62-40 victory at the Stott Center in Portland in 1999 in the first-ever meeting while also defeating the Titans by a 73-59 count at Titan Gym in 2000.

SCOUTING THE DUCKS: After a pair of lopsided exhibition wins over Southern Oregon (109-47) and Western Oregon (109-65), Oregon has opened the regular season 2-0 with wins over Eastern Washington (86-48) and Montana (86-81)... the Ducks face Santa Clara on Nov. 24 before opening tournament play on their home floor against the Titans... Taylor Lilley leads a quartet of players in double figures at 21.5 ppg, shooting 43 percent from the floor and 10-of-26 from three-point range... Nicole Canepa (17.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg off the bench) and starters Amanda Johnson (12.5 ppg, 11.0 rpg) and Micaela Cocks (12.5 ppg) are also in double figures.

SCOUTING THE VIKINGS: Portland State is 2-1 overall on the season with wins over Washington (67-66) and Western Oregon (75-65) and a loss to Boise State (92-80) on the road... the Vikings will face cross-city rival Portland on Tuesday (Nov. 24) before heading to Eugene to open tournament play against Wisconsin... Claire Faucher leads the team offensively, averaging 15.0 ppg and 6.0 rpg to go with 19 assists following a 10-assist game against Boise State... Kelli Valentine (13.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg) and Eryn Jones (1.0 ppg) join her in double figures.

SCOUTING THE BADGERS: Wisconsin has opened the season 3-0 with wins over North Dakota (68-43), Milwaukee (64-55) and Cleveland State (70-68)... The Badgers will take on in-state rival Green Bay on Tuesday (Nov. 24) before heading to Eugene to open the tournament against Portland State... Four starters are averaging double figures in the early going, led by Alyssa Karel's 11.7 ppg... Tara Steinbauer is averaging 11.0 ppg and a team-best 7.7 rpg while Rae Lin D'Alie (10.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and Lin Zastrow (10.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg) join her in double figures.

WELL, THIS IS NEW...: But it probably won't feel that way by the end of the year. This weekend's first-ever meetings with Oregon and Wisconsin will be the first of five "first time" games for the Titans in the 2009-10 season. Cal State Fullerton will also take on Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Seattle University later this year in the first meetings between the schools in women's basketball.

LOOKING TO END A TREND: Those "first time" meetings haven't gone too well for the Titans as of late, however, as Cal State Fullerton hasn't left with more than a friendly handshake. The Titans have lost seven of their last eight games against first-time opponents dating back to the 2005-06 season, posting their only win in that stretch with an 84-63 victory over Utah Valley on Jan. 26, 2006, at Titan Gym.

A "BREITE" IDEA: Junior center Jenna Breite, who averaged just 12.4 minutes per game last season in 24 appearances, has given the Titans a lift in the post with the loss of Toni Thomas. Breite has pounded the boards to the tune of 6.7 rpg - including a career-high nine rebounds against San Francisco on Nov. 20 - to tie teammate Lyndsey Grove for the team lead. Not to be outdone on the offensive end, Breite also has helped out the offense with eight assists on the season and is tied for second on the team with 2.67 apg.

NOT IN A GIVING MOOD: Despite this being the holiday season, Cal State Fullerton wasn't in a very giving mood last weekend against San Francisco on Nov. 24, committing a season-low 10 turnovers in its eight-point defeat - the second time this season that the Titans have committed 15-or-fewer miscues. The 10 turnovers are the fewest for Fullerton since it turned the ball over just eight times on the road against UC Santa Barbara on Feb. 5, 2009.

AND FOR DESSERT...?: It's safe to say a basketball turnover probably wouldn't taste very good as a meal-ender, but on the court, it continues to be a sweet statistic for the Titans so far in 2009-10. Fullerton's pesky defense has forced its opponents into 63 turnovers thus far this season, turning them into 75 points for the "good gals" - an average of 25.0 ppg.

MEGAN KEEPS ON CHUGGIN' ALONG: Sophomore Megan Richardson continued her torrid start to the 2009-10 season, scoring 19 points in a loss to San Francisco, making it three-straight games in double figures to start the season. The performance extended her streak to nine consecutive double digit scoring contests dating back to the final six games of last season, as the second-year Manhattan Beach-native is averaging 16.8 ppg in that stretch.

GETTING OFFENSIVE: The Titans were monsters on the offensive glass last week against San Francisco, grabbing a season-high 20 offensive boards against the Dons. It's the highest number since Fullerton had 20 offensive rebounds against Cal Poly last season on Feb. 7 in San Luis Obispo.

ALREADY ROAD WARRIORS: Just three games into the 2009-10 season and the Titans are already seeing success away from Titan Gym as compared to just a season ago. Fullerton's wins at San Jose State and Sacramento State are just one fewer that it had in 12 chances all of last year as the Titans were just 3-9 in true road contests.

FOSTER JOINS ELITE CLUB: Thanks to the Titans' 2-0 start, first-year head coach Marcia Foster became the first Fullerton head coach to win her first game with the Titans since Denise Curry opened her Fullerton coaching career with a win over UNLV in 1997. Taking it a bit further, Foster's 2-0 start also puts her in select company, joining Chris Gobrecht (1979), Nancy Dunkle (1977), and Billie Moore (1969) as the ony Titan coaches to start their careers with two straight wins.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LIGHTS?: The Titans' 90 points against Sacramento State were the most for a Fullerton squad since they posted a 94-83 victory over Pacific on Jan. 19, 2008. The Titans also hit 40-of-80 (.500) from the floor against the Hornets, shooting 50 percent from the field for the first time since they hit 22-of-43 (.512) at UC Riverside on Jan. 23, 2008.

WINDEX WOMEN: After struggling on the boards a season ago, the Titans really cleaned up in the rebounding department against Sacramento State on Nov. 15 in Northern California, grabbing 58 rebounds - the most since Fullerton had 61 boards in a three-point loss to UC Riverside on Jan. 29, 2001. The Titans, who held the advantage on the boards only six times in 30 games last season, netted one of the top rebounding games in the history of the program against the Hornets as the 58 boards is tied for fifth in a single game dating back to the 1980-81 season.

SWIPER NO SWIPING: Picking up right where they left off a season ago, the Cal State Fullerton defense has continued to frustrate opposing offenses, racking up 29 steals on the season to rank among the top half of Big West Conference schools. The Titans, who led the league with 287 steals overall (9.57 spg) last season, racked up a season-high 15 steals against Sacramento State - the most since Fullerton stole 17 balls in last year's season opener against Santa Clara.